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31 May 2017

We've seen a lot of calls for Queen Letizia to bring back the bob lately. The razor-sharp short haircut she debuted back in 2015 really suited her; the infusion of swagger that came with it suited her even more. And now the hair is longer, and it feels like she's trying to bring that edginess without the scissors.

Okay, in fairness to La Reina, I can see how looking like this in a dress like that would put you in the mood to try something a little saucy with the rest of the look. It's Nina Ricci, and after Crown Princess Mary's affirmation yesterday - by the by, yesterday's post got a late update with day 2 of that Scandinavian lovefest - this serves only to further cement my love of an interesting hemline.

30 May 2017

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary are currently on a trip to Sweden, where they're heading up a Danish business delegation and are being hosted by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel. Any excuse to hang out with old friends, right?

Kungahuset.se

Starting with a little gathering with the two couples plus Prince Carl Philip on the Danish royal yacht, because if you're going to travel, you might as well travel in style. (While we're talking traveling in style: Fred's blazer, note it.)

Kungahuset.se

Suits all around for the gents and the ladies on Day 1. Victoria tried to liven hers up with red accessories, which is appreciated, but it's still a basic application to the Black n' Blue Suit Club at the end of the day.

And Mary puts a modern spin on the old suit and brooch combo, with great results. She's wearing what appears to be a part of the Ole Lynggaard Leaf Hair Jewel she wore as a hair ornament to King Carl Gustaf's birthday celebration last year - an appropriate choice, as the princess pair were visiting the Ole Lynggaard store in Stockholm.

And for the evening, a repeat of basic Dolce & Gabbana lace for Mary, and something involving a possible swan for Victoria. There's wearing a mural, and then there's letting a mural wear you. This one...is a lot.

UPDATE: Day 2 is in the bag.

Kungahuset.se

Hanging out at the palace with the fam entails florals for everybody. Did somebody not give Queen Silvia the memo? Is she not on the group text? Couldn't we throw in a little lapel accent for the gents, while we're at it? If we're going to do this thing, let's do it.

And then there was the dinner. Victoria didn't just shrug off my mural caution, she jumped even further into the deep end. Everyone else looks like they're in a black and white (and navy) movie, compared to her comic book riot of color. Although Mary is, with a single action shot, proving that my love for an uneven hemline is not misplaced.

How many leather peplum tops does a person need? To its credit, this red leather Carolina Herrera jacket is far superior to the Game of Thrones rejectUterqüe leather peplum top she debuted last year. I like it far more than I thought I could like anything involving the words "leather peplum".

25 May 2017

Wealthy Cuban-American Consuelo Yznaga (1853-1909) married George Montagu, the future 8th Duke of Manchester, in New York City in 1876. She was one of the first of the so-called Dollar Princesses, the eligible American heiresses who married fortune-seeking aristocrats in matches designed to provide titles for the women and funds for the men. The Duchess of Manchester's goddaughter and namesake was Consuelo Vanderbilt, whose marriage to the Duke of Marlborough was among the most famous of these Gilded Age arrangements. Consuelo Montagu was also good friends with Edith Wharton, who chronicled matches like hers in The Buccaneers.

The Manchester TiaraVictoria & Albert Museum, London

The tiara Consuelo, then the Dowager Duchess of Manchester, commissioned from Cartier in 1903 is as much a symbol of her era as her marriage was. The Belle Epoque design features seven graduated flaming heart motifs of diamonds set in gold and silver. Each heart has three dangling diamonds at the center and is topped by a detachable scroll motif and single collet diamond. The Dowager Duchess provided over 1,000 brilliant-cut diamonds and over 400 rose-cut diamonds for the tiara; Cartier provided additional rose-cut diamonds to make up the design as well as a few paste (glass) stones for the C-scrolls at the ends.

Helena, Duchess of Manchester

The motif is shared with others made around the same time, such as Princess Thyra's Sapphire Tiara, which is now worn by Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, and the Edward VII Ruby Tiara, now worn by Queen Silvia of Sweden. The massive scale of the tiara was definitely set up for the large hairstyles of the time. It was overwhelming even for Consuelo's daughter-in-law Helena, a fellow American who wore the tiara to the 1911 coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. In his book Tiaras: A History of Splendour, Geoffrey Munn notes that Helena "was said to have supported this enormous jewel with an air of permanent misgiving."

The back side of the tiaraVictoria & Albert Museum, London

The family's wealth and estates were basically gone by the time the 12th Duke, who spent some time in prison for fraud, took the title. The Manchester Tiara was accepted by the British government in 2007 in lieu of inheritance taxes following his death, and the diadem was allocated to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. It's on display in the jewelry gallery, which is excellent news because you can visit it anytime you like. And such a beautiful and grand piece deserves to be examined up close and personal.

...or not. As entertaining as the couple are in their mismatched outfits here, that's just them arriving at the Royal Palace for the dinner. They don't actually live at the Royal Palace, you see; the Queen gets ready at home and is all set to go on arrival, while others (including the King, Princess Beatrix, and Princess Margriet) toss on their formal best after arriving. Willem-Alexander was properly white tie attired on the way out of the event. I'll have to keep the dream of business casual tiaras alive for another time.

Anyway, Máxima topped a ten-year-old Natan dress with the Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara, plus diamond and pearl earrings and a diamond and pearl strawberry leaf brooch from Queen Sophie (1818-1877). Some color would have been nice here, though? Even just a bit? Mega tiara appearances shouldn't be this blergh, is what I'm saying.

Princess Beatrix joined her daughter-in-law in pulling from the family stash of pearls and diamonds. The Pearl Button Tiara is getting around these days, having made its debut on Princess Mabel earlier this month.

And finally, Princess Margriet was looking saucy in sparkly green, with the Dutch Emerald Parure on top and hubby Pieter van Vollenhoven (see? White tie) by her side.

But wait! There's more! Tiaras were also on parade in Luxembourg yesterday.

Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie hosted a state banquet for the President of Portugal during his state visit to Luxembourg.

Despite her valiant effort to match her sash from Portugal's Order of Merit without looking like a bumblebee, Stéphanie's look suffers one major setback: her tiara. This modern diamond butterfly motif tiara (see it closer here, from another occasion) is never going to convince me it wasn't a clearance rack find at Claire's in another life, and that's that.

23 May 2017

There are things that happen with a soothing regularity, such as: the Windsorswill turn up en masse for their annual trip to the Chelsea Flower Show, and they willbe the epitome of springtime fashion while they're at it. Yesterday's show was indeed a soothing array of spring.

Royal Family

The Duchess of Cambridge joined the royal party in a pleated silk floral print midi dress. You know, I have several cracks at the ready about florals for flower shows being, well, groundbreaking...

...but an easy, breezy silk dress and a jaunty ponytail is the perfect choice for this event. Just ask the Queen! (Minus the ponytail part.)

Royal Family

The Queen led the family charge wearing - what else? - a nice floral dress and jacket, plus - what else? - a nice floral brooch (the Chelsea Iris Brooch, her usual pick for this event since the organizers gave it to her. More, as always, at the Vault).

Royal Family

Princess Alexandra hopped on the floral train in a more subtle way with a diamond flower brooch. The Queen has a dead ringer for this brooch in her own collection. It's a pretty common design.

Royal Family

Stepping out of the obvious theme, we asked the Countess of Wessex to give us another chance to see this Valentino dress in action, and she delivered! I can report that I still love it. And yes that is a Mary Berry alert to the side; she also joked around with the Duke of Edinburgh, and I decided over at the Vault that the pair should have their own cooking show. Make it so.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were also at the flower show. (This pic is actually from another event they attended yesterday in the same outfits, so just use your imaginary green screen and throw some flowers in the background.) Just a few days after I reminded everyone how much I enjoy their unconventional shoe choices, we have another perfect example on Princess Beatrice:

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't immediately decided I needed a pair of these myself. Mind you, I really have no idea how they came to be paired with this particular outfit, or for this particular event. But who doesn't need a happy little shoe?

Forgive me, but: CALLED IT. Queen Máxima chose a more vivid color for her version of the dress, an iris hue, and it's really quite fabulous on her - a better choice than the rest of the bell sleeves in her closet. (You know she has a whole section.) In a full length it would have been fabulous on Sheikha Mozah too, whose sleek style is uncharacteristically buried under all those pleats.

What's interesting about Máxima and this dress is how she made it pull double duty. The same day, she joined the King for a state event. An added hat was a must, of course; this being Máx, she also threw in a jewelry switch up.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima formally welcomed the President and First Lady of Mozambique to the Netherlands.

While Sheikha Mozah warranted tanzanite drop earrings and a pair of modern diamond bow brooches, the official welcome called for diamond earrings and a large brooch probably from the depths of the royal vault. I'm having visions of a vault wall filled with a complicated flow chart dictating appropriate jewelry levels for appropriate events...though any chance for double the jewelry is a chance our Máx will take, truly.

20 May 2017

It might not technically be a royal wedding, but we're not ones to complain about a little extra bridal glamour, are we? We are not. Let's have a little looksee - just a brief one - at the bride of the weekend and her royal guests...

Pippa Middleton, sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, married James Matthews at St. Mark's Church, Englefield Green, England.

The bride's dress comes from Giles Deacon. It features a high neckline and cap sleeve with hand appliquéd bespoke silk cotton lace designed to create the illusion of a no seam dress. The corseted bodice is embroidered with pearls and the underskirt has layers of organza and tulle.

With her pearl-embroidered tulle veil by milliner Stephen Jones, Pippa wore a Maidenhair Fern tiara and matching headpiece from Robinson Pelham, the jewelers who also made her earrings; the earrings are the same ones she wore to her sister's royal wedding in 2011 and are companions to Kate's wedding earrings. I can't say I follow Pippa's style at all, and yet this feels just right for her, doesn't it?

The Duchess of Cambridge was on hand to wrangle the train and the wee bridal party, which included Prince George and Princess Charlotte (in bespoke outfits from Pepa & Co.). Kate chose Alexander McQueen for her blush pink dress, Jane Taylor for her matching hat, and Kiki McDonough for her earrings (yup, another new pair!). It's a lovely and understated look, with many comparisons to similar pieces she's worn in the past - something I'm sure will win her much praise for not overshadowing her sister. I think I might have preferred a sleeker hat, but if I'm honest, those percher hats she adores are a hard sell for me in the first place.

My wedding guest swoons for the day belong to Princess Eugenie, who looks faaaaabulous! The perfect dress shape for her (it's from Paule Ka, per Polka Poppins on Twitter), and she's keeping the York sisters love of interesting shoes alive with a little added color. LOVE.

I'll also never miss a sighting of Lady Gabriella Windsor, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Wearing her usual picks - Catherine Walker with a Philip Treacy hat - she's really got the old world royal elegance down pat.

Queen Letizia selected a dress and coat from Felipe Varela with lace sleeves and side detailing for the occasion, accessorized with diamond earrings, silver shoes, a silver clutch, and a matching husband.

This new outfit gives her something of a style twin moment with...herself. Shades of aqua and the guipure lace look also featured in her selection for the first communion of elder daughter Leonor in 2015. The kids have their school uniform for the event, Letizia has her Felipe Varela uniform.

You have to glam it up for Cannes, right? Princess Stéphanie knows how it's done. One of her best looks right here. This white Ralph Lauren dress also featured in a recent sartorial highlight for another royal, so it's a tried and true choice.

Ralph Lauren/Polar Music Prize Instagram

Crown Princess Victoria wore this dress to the Polar Music Prize last summer, and it was one of her best 2016 outfits. Part of what makes these twin appearances so fabulous is that both used the dress as a canvas for a major jewelry statement: a huge shoulder necklace from the H&M Conscious Collection for Victoria, and the debut of a serious pair of earrings for Stéphanie.

17 May 2017

Your weekly tiara’s coming at you a day ahead of schedule! This diadem has been in the news recently, because there's nothing quite like a juicy jewel theft to grab some attention.

Grand Duchess Hilda's TiaraBadisches Landesmuesum

Made in the early 20th century by German jeweler Schmidt-Staub, this tiara is a classical design featuring a diamond ribbon undulating between swags of laurel wreaths, with a triple tier base and the solid top line of a kokoshnik shape. The platinum and gold diadem includes 367 brilliant diamonds in an à jour setting, meaning the back of the setting is left open to allow the maximum amount of light to filter through the diamonds. There are also diamond pendants in the design, another feature that will pick up extra light. Light makes diamonds come alive, so the tiara must have been far more spectacular in use than it ever could be in a photograph. (That's almost always true anyway, but especially with construction like this).

Grand Duchess Hilda

The tiara was commissioned for Grand Duchess Hilda of Baden (1864-1952), who was the daughter of Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg. Although the exact timing of the tiara’s commission is unknown, it was likely created around 1907 for Hilda for her husband’s coronation as Grand Duke Friedrich II of Baden. The couple were the last Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Baden; they were deposed in 1918, along with the rest of the German monarchs.

Hilda, who had no children of her own, gave this tiara to her niece, Crown Princess Antoinette of Bavaria (1899-1954). Antoinette’s daughter, Princess Editha of Bavaria (1924-2013), was the last known family member to wear the tiara publicly. Grand Duchess Hilda’s Tiara was first sold in 1973; later, in 1984, it was purchased by the state-run Badisches Landesmuesum in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Badisches Landesmuesum

The museum placed the tiara on public display, where it remained until a couple weeks ago. On April 29, museum staff got an unfortunate shock when they discovered that the tiara was missing. It had been taken from inside its locked display cabinet in the museum's throne room. The stolen tiara has been valued at $1.31 million (€1.2 million), and the Baden-Württemberg police are still seeking any information about the theft. You don't often hear about stolen tiaras being found intact, but let’s hope this one finds its way back home.

Here we have an attempt to freshen up the traditional suit with a suede skirt and suede waistcoat. Best tried without the blouse under the vest so as to avoid the straight jacket side of the institutional line, methinks.

Victoria's effort is a little more classic, yet she comes out on top here - due largely to an excellent stair pose, I'm not gonna lie. Hit those marks when you can. Hey, no one knows this better than Letizia, Queen of the Shampoo Model Action Shot.

--Aww, this is nice: Big smiles from the Duke of Edinburgh as he watched his granddaughter, Lady Louise Windsor, made her carriage driving debut at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Her carriage was first driven by the Queen in 1943 and was tucked away in a barn until recently, when it was found and restored. [Express]

12 May 2017

The Duchess of Cambridge made an official visit to Luxembourg yesterday, marking the anniversary of the 1867 Treaty of London. She was accompanied by Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie and later also by Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, and met with the grand ducal family.

Kensington Palace

It's a new Emilia Wickstead coatdress for Kate. Technically new, let's call it, because if you feel like you've seen it before, you'd also be correct. The whole look is absolutely lovely. Yawningly lovely, though, if we're being honest. I'm just trying to curate an interesting Royal Coat Museum here, guys.

Kiki McDonough

Perhaps I should focus my attentions instead on her burgeoning Kiki McDonough Museum, for we have a new addition to the collection in the form of these blue topaz and diamond pendant numbers.

Or maybe we could just borrow Stéphanie's choice for this portion of the coat exhibition, pep it up a bit. This red dress manages to look pretty good in almost all the motion shots, which is a high achievement for a garment filled with ruffles.

On the Stéphanie scale, this rates pretty high. It's a fabulous color for her, and a good move to turn it up for an engagement with many more degrees of exposure than her usual events.

Every kind of duke and duchess you could ever need (L to R): Princess Alexandra, the Hereditary Grand Duchess, the Grand Duke, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Grand Duchess, and the Hereditary Grand DukeKensington Palace

Are those yellow shoes on Princess Alexandra? Between that and her hilarious refusal to face the camera straight on - girl knows her angles better than the rest of them, or maybe that's just the direction to head for snacks - she might be the most interesting part of this shindig.

10 May 2017

Another day, another birthday dinner in Norway as the festivities for King Harald and Queen Sonja’s joint 80th birthday wrap up. The government threw a black tie dinner at the Opera, which was just a wee bit hampered thanks to inclement weather. Our judgements must go on despite all the wraps and umbrellas…

Most Customized Birthday Queen

Queen Sonja of Norway

And the wraps are getting in the way, right away. It’s a real shame that Sonja didn’t get to show off her dress on the way in to the Opera, because it’s really a special piece; Queen Sonja came up with the idea and the design based on her graphic prints, and the Opera staff made it.

Sonja did get to show it off during the couple's acceptance speech. When Harald noted the dress' special origin, he got a cute twirl from Sonja and a big smile from fellow artist Queen Margrethe (see it here). And here I thought the lime green ball gown was the most Sonja dress Sonja ever wore!

Best in Blues

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians

As seems to be the case with every royal gathering, you have a selection of ladies going the embellished navy dress route. Mette-Marit’s version is from Marte Krogh, and I’m on board minus the sleeves.

Both of these dresses are exactly what I would expect both of these ladies to pick. Märtha Louise’s repeated Ingunn Birkeland is colorful and a little bit unusual, which I think is a fair summary of ML’s style on the whole; Sophie’s is very stately and from Suzannah (h/t to Anna), one of her favorite designers. Also worth noting: Sophie’s hair is on point.

One big category for one big group: the ladies who love their repeats and their wraps. All of this is business as usual, what more can you say? King Juan Carlos and his powder blue shirt might be the thing of most note here, truth be told.

Note 1: Yes, I put Princess Astrid in the Queen Division, and I will hear no objections. Note 2: Sofia and Juan Carlos, along with Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, are two couples who made it for day 2 of the celebration but skipped day 1. More details on the guest list in the open post.

They’re clad in long dresses and everything, but there’s so much of a daywear feel to both of these (in the print on Victoria’s Acne repeat and the sleeve/neckline cut of Marie’s Rikke Gudnitz repeat) that they come off feeling a little underdressed.

Look at these two gems. This mother and daughter-in-law duo were having a whale of a time on the carpet, and I'd join that party any day. I'd even go for a very 1910 governess hair + black dress combo if that would help me fit in. (Mabel's making it work!)

Well, M-C, after two appearances at the top of my best dressed list, this is where we part ways. We had a good run. Like I said, Marie-Chantal always brings something straight off the runway, and sometimes it works, and sometimes…hoo boy, it does not. Let’s not spread this Valentino idea to anyone else. (I’m already afraid the seeds of a bad idea have been planted in the Valentino-loving brains of Máxima and Mette-Marit…)

For her second Prinsjesdag rerun in a row, Máxima gave her 2016 Claes Iversen outfit an A+ makeover by replacing the blouse top with a more fitted and embellished off-the-shoulder top. Accessorizing with major sapphires, including her second big sapphire bow brooch of this trip and the sapphire version of that delicate diamond trellis necklace, was the perfect touch.

I would have rated this one a lot higher back at its original appearance if I knew about this master plan! Sneaky Máx, she always has something up her sleeve.

Don’t ask me why Victoria’s floral makes my nose scrunch up but Mary’s floral makes my knees go weak. That’s just the way it is, okay? All I know is that this Erdem (per Heaven) is FAB and the accessories are SUPERB and the best dressed spot vacated by Marie-Chantal has been eagerly snapped up by the usual suspect.

And that’s a wrap on these fabulous Norwegian birthday celebrations! Thanks to all who have played along. Once more before we go, tell me…

Who makes your best dressed list?

Programming Note: Tiara Thursday is taking the week off – while we recover from all this splendor, you understand – and we’ll be back as usual on Friday!